Week 7 was another great week of college football! Another classic game with Washington just barely edging out Oregon in the matchup between two top ten teams.
We saw a lot of other games that start to separate the top teams from the rest including USC losing to Notre Dame, North Carolina winning against Miami, and Iowa defeating Wisconsin.
Every week we start to get more clarity as to the strength of each team and you will see the rankings updated below.
Take a look and see where your team stands in this week’s Top 5 Rankings.
Scroll to the bottom to see how Rivalry Sports did on their picks for the week 7 games and to see a summary of this week’s picks!
Win/Loss Records of the picks for Week 7:
| Picker | Rivalry Sports – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker |
| Win – Loss Record Week 7 | 12 – 8 | 12 – 8 |
| Overall Won/Loss Record on Picks (starting in Week 5 for Dustin) | 38 – 18 | 23 – 15 |
Guest Picker Won/Loss Records
| Guest Picker | Week | Won/Loss Record on Picks | Winning Percentage |
| Stephanie Kirby | 6 | 11 – 7 | 61.11% |
| Lance Kirby | 7 | 12 – 8 | 60.00% |
RIVALRY SPORTS LOCK PICK OF THE WEEK
| Week | Rivalry Sports Game Score Pick | Actual Result |
| 6 | Notre Dame over Louisville | Louisville Over Notre Dame 33 – 20 |
| 7 | Utah over California 24 – 10 | Utah over California 34 – 14 |
| 8 | Michigan over Michigan State 38 – 17 |
Check out last week’s Top 5 Rankings
College football never disappoints, and this year is no exception. Let’s check in with the Weekly Rivalry Sports Top 5 for each power conference.
SEC TOP FIVE
The SEC is well known as “THE” Power Conference in College Football with 6 of the last 10 National Champions coming from the SEC alone!
This year Georgia is representing the Conference as the lone power at the top of the National Rankings, but there are some strong teams behind Georgia that are making a push to be in the National Top Ten.
1. GEORGIA (7 – 0) AP Ranking – #1
A week after dominating UofK, Georgia went back to their season long way of playing down to their opponents in their 37 – 20 win over Vanderbilt.
More concerning is the ankle injury to All-World TE Brock Bowers. Hopefully Bowers can heal over the Bye Week and be ready to go for the home stretch of games.
Georgia has shown that they are still a dominant team when motivated and the last 5 games of the season are against Rivals and/or tough teams so we should see the best of Georgia down the home stretch.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 1
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye Week
2. ALABAMA (6 – 1) AP Ranking – #11
The Crimson Tide are still stacking up victories and are in control of their destiny, but it is not looking pretty.
I knew they would have a tough game against a tough Arkansas team that features one of the most underrated players in College Footbal in QB KJ Jefferson, but their 24 – 21 win did little to inspire confidence in the Tide.
Alabama however continues to show they have a tough Defense and a QB capable of big plays in Jalen Milroe.
We will see just how good Alabama is this week when they take on the Tennessee Volunteer team that defeated Alabama last year.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 2
Week 8 Opponent: Tennessee at 3:30pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. OLE MISS (5 – 1) AP Ranking – #13
Ole Miss is a good team this year that has a lot to play for. They will be favored in all of their remaining games except for the game against Georgia on November 11th.
If the Rebels can run the table and if Alabama loses one game then that would put Ole Miss in the SEC Championship Game where a win could net them a possible College Football Playoff Berth!
There is a lot of work to do before that and a lot of games to be played, but to even be in this position at this point of the season has to have Ole Miss fans excited.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 3
Week 8 Opponent: @ Auburn at 7:00pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. LSU (5 – 2) AP Ranking – #19
LSU dominated Auburn this past weekend to the tune of a 48 – 18 win. They are showing that they may be the best 2 loss team in the nation currently.
Their Offense is prolific, led by QB Jaden Daniels and WR Malik Nabers and if the Defense led by star LB Harold Perkins can improve then the Tigers can beat anyone on their schedule.
The Tigers will look to continue to tighten up their team this coming week against Army, before their big showdown with Alabama on November 4th!
Last Week SEC Ranking: 4
Week 8 Opponent: Army at 7:30pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. Tennessee (5 – 1) AP Ranking – #17
The Volunteers are a good team with only one loss on their resume courtesy of the Florida Gators back in Week 3.
While the Volunteers are certainly a good team, they have not looked like the dominant team that they were last year.
Their Defense is playing very well, and their running game is excellent, but QB Joe Milton and his receivers have failed to consistently make big plays. If Tennessee can start getting consistent production from their passing attack they could work their way up the SEC Top 5 Rankings.
Last Week SEC Ranking: 5
Week 8 Opponent: @ Alabama at 3:30 pm EDT, Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
Dropped from SEC Top 5 Rankings:
Same 5 as last week
Big Ten TOP FIVE
This was an important week in the Big Ten! In the B1G East Division, the power three of Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State held their positions with blowout victories which sets up a great game between Ohio State and Penn State this week.
In the B1G West Division a battle for the lead in the Division was surprisingly won by Iowa over Wisconsin. That is no disrespect to Iowa, as they are a strong team with a great coaching staff, but they are now missing their top receiving threat and their number 1 QB and they still won!
1. MICHIGAN (7 – 0) AP Ranking – #2
Michigan looked sluggish in the first quarter against Indiana, but the Wolverines then turned it on and embarrassed the Hoosiers to a final score of 52 – 7.
Michigan is a well rounded team with a balanced offense featuring star players in RB Blake Corum, QB JJ McCarthy, and a powerful offensive line. The Defense however is the key to just how good this team can be. They have dominated and forced turnovers against weaker competition, but will they be able to continue their success against tougher opponents?
The depth of the Defense leads me to say yes, they will be able to continue performing at a high level regardless of the competition.
Last Week B1G Ranking: 1
Week 6 Opponent: @ Michigan State at 7:30pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. OHIO STATE (6 – 0) AP Ranking – #3
The Buckeyes dominated a Purdue team that had no chance from the beginning of the game.
Ohio State put on an offensive show and almost totaled 500 yards of Offense for the day. The Buckeyes did a good job staying focused on their task with their looming game against Penn State Coming up this week.
If QB Kyle McCord can continue to grow and they can get RB TreVeyon Henderson and WR Emeka Egbuka healthy, this will be a tough team to beat.
As with Michigan, the offense will score points, but if the strong Buckeye Defense can continue dominating opponents they will be tough to beat.
Last Week B1G Ranking: 2
Week 8 Opponent: Penn State at 12:00PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. PENN STATE (6 – 0) AP Ranking – #7
Penn State continued to dominate this season with a huge win. The only stain on the win is the fact that Coach James Franklin made remarks about the Michigan Wolverines playing a soft schedule the same week that Penn State was playing poor Massachusetts.
Bad timing on the comments from Coach Franklin didn’t stop the Nittany Lions from dominating on the field to the tune of a 63 – 0 win. Young star QB Drew Allar continues to look poised beyond his years and he is backed by a strong running game and a suffocating Defense.
We will find out a lot about both Penn State and Ohio State when they play each other this weekend.
Last Week B1G Ranking: 3
Week 8 Opponent: @ Ohio State at 12:00PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
4. Iowa (6 – 1) AP Ranking – #24
Iowa pulled out the upset over Wisconsin this past Saturday to take control of the Big Ten West Division.
The Hawkeyes were already expected to struggle offensively coming into the year, but injuries to their starting QB and two leading receivers have left the passing game almost non-existent.
Luckily for Iowa fans this team barely needs the offense to do anything in order to win. Iowa’s Defense and Special Teams are strong as always and their running game is starting to come around.
They will not be mistaken for the top spot in the B1G Rankings, but they are in the driver’s seat in the B1G West and are a tough team to beat.
Last Week B1G Ranking: Unranked
Week 8 Opponent: Minnesota at 3:30PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. MARYLAND (5 – 2) AP Ranking – Unranked
Maryland just holds onto their spot in the top 5 rankings of the Big Ten after a dismal loss to a struggling Illinois team.
The Terps hold onto their spot more because there is a lack of others to take their position than by their own merit this week.
However, Maryland seems to be much better overall than they played this week and their loss to Ohio State in week 6 seemed to affect their week 7 performance.
The bye week should help them get back on track and they come back from the Bye with a winnable game against Northwestern.
Last Week B1G Ranking: 5
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye Week
Dropped from Big 10 Top 5 Rankings:
Wisconsin (4 – 2)
Wisconsin lost the opportunity to take control of the B1G West with their loss to Iowa. Their limited offense was also exposed by the powerful Iowa Defense.
PAC-12 TOP FIVE
The Pac 12 boasted the game of the week when Top Ten teams Oregon and Washington met in week 7. The game came down to a missed FG by Oregon to show just how close this two powerhouses are matched.
Unfortunately for the Pac 12 their other team that had been ranked in the Top 10 nationally was USC and they were blown out in a 48 – 20 loss to Notre Dame this past Saturday.
1. WASHINGTON (6 – 0) AP Ranking – #5
The Huskies proved they are worthy of their high ranking with their 36 – 33 win over Oregon in Week 7.
QB Michael Penix continued to make his case as a Heisman Trophy candidate and the Huskies stayed consistent and resilient in winning the game.
Washington still has a few really tough games left, but they passed a big test this weekend. If they are able to continue winning they will be in the running for the College Football Playoffs.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 2
Week 8 Opponent: Arizona State at 10:30pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. OREGON (5 – 1) AP Ranking – #9
Oregon is not the in the business “coming close”, but their loss to Washington could not have been much closer.
They missed a game tieing field Goal in the final seconds, but the story of the game goes much further than that.
The bigger story of the game is the fact that Oregon went for it on three fourth downs and failed to convert any of them.
One or two of those attempts were well worth the chance, but not taking a FG going into halftime not only cost the Ducks three points (they lost by three points), but it would have also given them the momentum that they instead gave to Washington.
Oregon will look to get back on track against Washington State this coming Saturday.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 1
Week 8 Opponent: Washington State at 3:30pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. USC (6 – 1) AP Ranking – #18
The queston everyone had about USC was answered this week. They have a prolific offense, but what would they do when they went up against a Team with a tough Defense and an offense that can put pressure on USC’s poor Defense?
Unfortunately for USC fans, the answer was that they would be in trouble as evidenced by their 48 – 20 blowout loss to Notre Dame.
This loss dropped them 8 – 10 spots in the national rankings, but the season is not lost and if they can win out they have a chance to make the College Football Playoffs.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 3
Week 8 Opponent: Utah at 8:00pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. OREGON STATE (6 – 1) AP Ranking – #12
Oregon State contined to show that they are a contender in the Pac 12 with their 36 – 24 win over UCLA this past Saturday.
With a strong Defense and Offense, Coach Jonathan Smith will continue to pile up wins.
The Beavers enter their Bye Week looking to prepare for their last five games of the year, especially their last two when they face Washington and Oregon in back to back weeks.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 4
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye Week
5. UTAH (5 – 1) AP Ranking – #14
Utah is a tough and proud team like always. As long as Coach Kyle Whittingham is leading the way the Utes will always be tough to beat.
Coming off their Bye week they handled California to the tune of 34 – 14. Although backup QB Bryson Barnes played well, I don’t think that will be enough for the Utes this week against USC.
If star QB Cam Rising was healthy and had played this past Saturday as expected, I would expect Utah to beat USC, but without him or with him on his first game back I have to say that I expect USC to win this weekend.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 5
Week 8 Opponent: @ USC at 8:00pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
Dropped from Pac – 12 Top 5 Rankings:
Same 5 as Last Week
BIG 12 TOP FIVE
The Big 12 continued to show that this year the Conference is composed of two title contenders and then chaos!
1. OKLAHOMA (6 – 0) AP Ranking – #6
Oklahoma is coming off their Bye Week and their huge win over Texas.
They are looking to continue to run the table and get into the Big 12 Championship where they hope they will be able to secure a spot in the College Football Playoffs with a win.
They will look to continue their undefeated season against UCF this week.
The Sooners unfortunately lost WR Andrel Anthony to injury for the season, but with Heisman hopeful QB Dillon Gabriel leading the way, the Sooners are in good hands.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 1
Week 8 Opponent: Ucf at 12:00pm EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. TEXAS (5 – 1) AP Ranking – #8
Texas needed a Bye Week after their emotional loss to Oklahoma in Week 6, but the Longhorns are ready to resume their quest for the Big 12 Title and more.
With a loaded Offense and a strong Defense, the Longhorns know that they have the talent to get through the rest of their schedule unscathed and force a rematch with Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game!
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 2
Week 8 Opponent: @ Houston at 4:00PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. Kansas State (3 – 2) AP Ranking – Unranked
Kansas State got back into the rankings this week after their win against Texas Tech.
With Freshman phenom QB Avery Johnson leading the way, the Wildcats looked like a dangerous team.
If experienced QB Will Howard can get healthy and the coaching staff can keep integrating Avery Johnson, it will keep opposing teams guessing and will make the Wildcats much more dangerous.
Last Week Big 12 Ranking: Unranked
Week 8 Opponent: TCU at 7:00PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
4. WEST VIRGINIA (4 – 2) AP Ranking – Unranked
The Mountaineers lost a heartbreaking game to Houston this past Saturday by the score of 41 – 39.
It was a blown opportunity to beat a team at the bottom of the Big 12, but West Virginia cannot stay focused on defeat as they have a chance to get back on a winning streak this weekend against Oklahoma State.
If they can win they will stay in the Big 12 Top 5, but a loss would knock them out.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 4
Week 8 Opponent: Oklahoma State at 3:30PM EDT Thursday 10/12/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. KANSAS (5 – 2) AP Ranking – #Unranked
The Jayhawks were nationally ranked going into Week 7, but were surpised by a surging Oklahoma State team and lost 39 – 32.
QB Jason Bean has filled in admirably for star QB Jalon Daniels, but without Daniels the Jayhawks have lost two of their last three games.
I think that Kansas will still turn it back around and stay in the Top 5 in the Big 12, but they cannot afford to keep losing.
Hopefully the Bye Week will help Daniels regain his health and then the Jayhawks can make a run through the back end of their schedule.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 3
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye Week
Dropped from Big 12 Top 5 Rankings:
BYU (4 – 2) AP Ranking – Unranked
BYU suffered an embarring loss to TCU in Week 7 by the score of 44 – 11. They will need to go on a winning streak to get back into the Top 5 in the Big 12.
Last Week Pac-12 Ranking: 5
ACC TOP FIVE
The race to the ACC Championship game is becoming clearer and clearer each week. Although there is still room for another team to overtake one of the leaders, the two frontrunners are currently Florida State and North Carolina who are the only undefeated teams in the conference.
1. FLORIDA STATE (6 – 0) AP Ranking – #4
The Seminoles continued a great season with a dominant 41 – 3 win over Syracuse.
Florida State will be favored in all of their remaining regular season games, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be challenged.
If Coach Mike Norvell and his stars QB Jordan Travis and DE Jared Verse, can keep the Seminoles motivated and focused then they should play in the ACC Championship Game with a chance to make the College Football Playoffs!
Last Week ACC Ranking: 1
Week 8 Opponent: Duke at 7:30PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
2. NORTH CAROLINA (6 – 0) AP Ranking – #10
Coach Mack Brown and Superstar QB Drake Maye have the Tar Heels on the path to the ACC Championship Game.
Every Tar Heel fan should be estatic to be in this position at this point of the season, but there are challenging games ahead including back to back showdowns with Duke and Clemson in NOvember.
With WR Tez Walker now playing, the Tar Heels added an elite weapon to their already formidable offense.
If they can stay focused we may see North Carolina face off with Florida State in the ACC Championship game!
Last Week ACC Ranking: 2
Week 8 Opponent: Virginia at 6:30PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
3. DUKE (5 – 1) AP Ranking – #16
The Blue Devils heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in Week 5 coupled with the injury to star QB Riley Leonard in the same game could have crushed the Blue Devils, but it didn’t.
Duke had a Bye Week after that loss and then this past Saturday they blew out NC State to the tune of 24 – 3.
The Blue Devils are hoping that Leonard can make a quick recovery and be available for their Week 8 game as they face their toughest opponent of the season in Florida state.
Last Week ACC Ranking: 3
Week 8 Opponent: @ Florida STate at 7:30PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Loss
4. CLEMSON (4 – 2) AP Ranking – Unranked
Clemson has already dropped two games this year which is not normal for the Tigers. In order to avoid losing three or more games in their Conference which they have not done since 2010, they will need to win the rest of their games!
That said, never underestimate Coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers.
QB Cade Klubnik gets more experience each week and if the offense can continue to improve and the Defense holds strong, then this team will be a tough test for any team on their schedule.
Last Week ACC Ranking: 5
Week 8 Opponent: @ Miami at 8:00PM EDT Saturday 10/21/23
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Win
5. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (6 – 1) AP Ranking – #21
The Cardinals Are still ahead of schedule in Coach Jeff Brohm’s first season, but after their great win against Notre Dame, it was a letdown to get whipped by Pitt by the score of 38 – 21.
Are the Cardinals as good as they looked in their game against Notre Dame, or are they are bad as they looked in their loss to Pitt?
We will find out after their Bye week when they face a tough Duke Team in Week 9.
Last Week ACC Ranking: 4
Week 8 Opponent: Bye Week
Rivalry Sports Prediction: Bye week
Dropped from Big 12 Top 5 Rankings:
Same 5 as Last Week
NOTABLE WEEK 8 GAMES
The season just continues to provide us with games to look forward to. There are lots of good games on the schedule for Week 8, and some of the most exciting games for Week 8 are listed below:
- #7 Penn State @ #3 Ohio State – This game features two of the three best teams in the Big Ten. The winner of this game passes a huge first test in the race for the Big Ten Championship and will surely rise in the National rankings as well.
- #17 Tennessee @ #11 Alabama – If the Tide can win they stay in the Drivers seat to win the SEC West, but Tennessee is out to prove that last year was no fluke and they aim to beat Alabama in back to back seasons.
- #2 MIchigan @ Michigan State – Michigan State might be having a horrible season and Michigan will surely be favored to win big, but these two teams truly don’t like each other. After last year’s violent attack by MSU players on Michigan players in the “Tunnel Incident” both teams will be out for revenge.
- #16 Duke @ #4 Florida State – This game has serious implications in the race for the ACC Championship race!
- #14 Utah @ #18 USC – Caleb Williams and the Trojans will be out to prove that last week was a fluke. If star QB Cam Rising had been healthy and playing this year then the Utes would have a great chance to win this game, but without him expect USC to win.
Rivalry Sports Lock Pick of the Week – Michigan over Michigan State 38 – 17
Rivalry Sports Underdog Pick of the Week – BYU vs Texas Tech
Check back in for updated power rankings next week!
WEEK 7 PICKS REVIEWED
| Week 7 Pick Results | Record |
| SEC | 4 – 0 |
| B1G (Big Ten) | 3 – 2 |
| Pac – 12 | 2 – 3 |
| Big – 12 | 1 – 3 |
| ACC | 3 – 1 |
| Total | 13 – 9 |
WEEK 7 GAME PICK Results
| GAME | RIVALRY SPORTS PICK – Dustin Kirby | GUEST PICKER PICK – Lance Kirby | WINNER |
| Georgia @ Vanderbilt | Georgia | Georgia | Georgia |
| Arkansas @ Alabama | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama |
| Auburn @ LSU | LSU | Auburn | LSU |
| Texas A&M @ Tennessee | Tennessee | Texas A&M | Tennessee |
| Indiana @ Michigan | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan |
| Ohio State @ Purdue | Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Umass @ Penn State | Penn State | Penn State | Penn State |
| Iowa @ Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Iowa |
| Illinois @ Maryland | Maryland | Maryland | Illinois |
| Oregon @ Washington | Oregon | Oregon | Washington |
| USC @ Notre Dame | USC | Notre Dame | Notre Dame |
| UCLA @ Oregon State | Oregon State | Oregon State | Oregon State |
| California @ Utah | Utah | Utah | Utah |
| Kansas @ Oklahoma State | Kansas | Oklahoma State | Oklahoma State |
| West Virginia @ Houston | West Virginia | West Virginia | Houston |
| BYU @ TCU | BYU | TCU | TCU |
| Syracuse @ Florida State | Florida State | Florida State | Florida State |
| Miami @ North CArolina | North Carolina | Miami | North Carolina |
| NC State @ Duke | Duke | Duke | Duke |
| Louisville @ Pitt | Louisville | Louisville | Pitt |
| WINS PER PICKER | 12 | 12 | 20 |
Week 8 Game Picks
| Game | Rivalry Sports Pick – Dustin Kirby | Guest Picker – Brandon Kirby | Winner |
| Tennessee @ Alabama | Alabama | Tennessee | |
| Ole Miss @ Auburn | Ole Miss | Ole Miss | |
| Army @ LSU | LSU | LSU | |
| Michigan @ Michigan State | Michigan | Michigan | |
| Penn State @ Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State | |
| Minnesota @ Iowa | Iowa | Minnesota | |
| Arizona State @ Washington | Washington | Washington | |
| Washington State @ Oregon | Oregon | Oregon | |
| Utah @ USC | USC | USC | |
| UCF @ Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | |
| Texas @ Houston | Texas | Texas | |
| TCU @ Kansas State | Kansas State | Kansas State | |
| Oklahoma State @ West Virginia | West Virginia | West Virginia | |
| Duke @ Florida State | Florida State | Duke | |
| Virginia @ North Carolina | North Carolina | North Carolina | |
| Clemson @ Miami | Clemson | Miami | |
| WINS PER PICKER | 16 |
